Bowes Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a very happy and purposeful school. It wholly succeeds in its ambition to nurture all pupils' hearts and minds. Everyone lives up to the school's core values of resilience, respect and responsibility.

Staff and pupils enjoy excellent working relationships. Pupils know that staff will always look out for them, so they feel safe and well cared for.

The school strives to ensure that all pupils achieve their very best, both academically and socially.

Pupils gain extensive knowledge across a wide range of subjects. Staff skilfully make adaptations, including, where appropriate, to the teaching of the curriculum, to meet pupils' needs. These highly effectiv...e strategies mean that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are helped to meet their full potential.

Pupils' behaviour, social and character development are superb. For example, right from Nursery, children are taught routines, how to respect all people and to be kind to each other. Pupil-led assemblies focus on current affairs and key moral issues.

From Reception upwards, all pupils receive bi-annual basic first aid training so that they know what to do in an emergency. Pupils with high needs SEND benefit from a bespoke programme that helps them to develop their independence.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Across the year groups and subjects, pupils achieve extremely well.

They develop deep knowledge and produce work of a very high standard. This is because the school has put extensive thought into designing a very rich curriculum. Teachers have much expertise.

They help pupils to make meaningful links between different areas of learning. Well- deployed strategies support pupils to remember key knowledge over time. There is a continuous drive to develop pupils' communication and writing skills.

This enables pupils to express their views with eloquence, both in conversation and in writing. The teaching of reading is a top priority. The well-established phonics programme and where needed, extra support, ensure that pupils become confident and fluent readers.

In the early years curriculum, resources, tasks and interactions between adults and children are deliberately chosen to ensure that children are securely prepared for Year 1 and beyond. Staff check on pupils' learning routinely. They use their findings intelligently to address knowledge gaps and misconceptions.

The school has robust systems for identifying and meeting the needs of all pupils. There is a high proportion of pupils with SEND, especially those with education, health and care (EHC) plans. Staff are very well trained to support a range of SEND needs, leading to these pupils succeeding in their learning.

Some pupils with EHC plans have very high needs. The school's 'Windermere' provision offers these pupils specialised, targeted support, ensuring that they study bespoke, ambitious curriculums tailored to meet their individual needs. This context accounts for some of the published provisional 2024 outcomes not being significantly above average, as in previous years.

Pupils' learning is enriched in several ways. These include plentiful subject-specific trips and visitors to school. The school also makes use of a wide range of resources, including, for instance, digital technology, to enhance pupils' experiences across the curriculum.

In Nursery, for example, children used virtual reality headsets to see what is under the sea, while in science, pupils used the headsets to supplement their study of the human heart.

Children in the early years are supported to concentrate for long periods and collaborate well with their classmates. Typically, pupils approach their work with diligence and interest.

When things are tricky, they do not give up as they are determined to succeed. Throughout the day there is a tranquil ambience. Pupils appreciate the `safe space' in all classrooms, where they can choose to go and calm down if they begin to feel emotional.

This helps them to self-regulate and return to their lessons quickly. These very positive attitudes play a key role in ensuring pupils' success. Improving attendance is a key priority.

The school has deployed a range of successful strategies to reduce the rates of pupils' absence.

The school provides an extremely well-considered programme to promote pupils' personal development. Pupils are made aware of how to support their physical and mental health and what to do to keep themselves safe online and in the real world.

They are taught about consent and how to form healthy relationships. The uptake of extra-curricular clubs is particularly high for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. The school runs a popular enrichment programme throughout the year, including school holidays, for pupils who need a boost in their cultural capital.

Leadership at all levels is strong and aspirational. The trustees and local governors play a key role in monitoring, supporting and holding the school to account. The school provides staff with extensive opportunities for professional development.

It pays much attention to staff well-being. Staff feel valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.